A Very Busy Day

After an early morning doctor’s appointment, where everything was fine and healed nicely. There is also no visible sign of infection or inflammation. My sinuses are finally working again.  I am very happy with that.  

I accomplished knitting and grocery shopping today after my doctor’s appointment.  I finished hat number 7 for the year. Then of course started hat number 8.  I did not want the stitch markers getting lonely.  After lunch it was nap time.  

Also the clouds got in the way of the lunar eclipse tonight.  Not many good pictures.  I did do some spinning while watching the eclipse tonight.  I can spin in semi darkness.  That is my new superpower. 

Recovery Is Exhausting

 I find it just amazing how little it takes right now to tire me out.  This morning I emptied the dishwasher. Knit with friends for an hour before I started falling asleep.  Spent less than $75.00 at the store and put the groceries away.  

I was too tired to eat lunch instead I slept for about 3 hours.  My head hit the pillow and I was out for the count.  I woke up just in time to talk to John and tell him what I forgot to pick up at the store today.  

I started to ply 2 eight ounce bobbins into a DK weight yarn  I am wondering how many bobbins I will fill.

By dinner time I had a pounding headache. After dinner a cuppa helped get rid of the pounding headache.  

My goal tonight is to try to get a good nights sleep.  

The Last Resort

 Today a decision was made out of necessity.  If you have been reading my blog for any length of time you know that I am not a fan of fast fashion.  I was born into a generation of children who learned to take shoes to the shoe maker until they could no longer be repaired.  Clothing was handed down between siblings.  Sometimes even friends and neighbors.  Buttons were routinely mismatched if like me you were at the end of the hand me down chain.  Holes patched if needed.  However clothing was made to last like my Kitchen Aide K5A which I bought in 1978 from Fedco. I spent a whole paycheck on the mixer.  It is still working and on my kitchen counter.  The store I bought it from is long gone.  They no longer offer parts to repair it.  To get a comparable mixer I will have to go to the top of the line with a larger bowl.  The first washing machine we bought lasted 25 years, you are lucky to get 5 years now.  

I am digressing. All but 4 of my summer T-shirts were bought before COVID19.  They are beginning to show their age.  Most I no longer wear, but keep for emergencies.  I have tried all my usual clothing stores and there were no T-shirts to be found.  So we went to a store that is in my humble opinion the essential fast fashion store.  They did have a lot of 100% cotton T-shirts.  I started looking and got a few to try on.  Most fit and looked ok. The difference between fast fashion and mid range fashion is the fit.  John went through the piles of shirts and even picked some that I had purposely left behind.  Some looked really good.  He does have a better eye for what looks good on me even when I don’t.  I even did the unthinkable for be, I bought shirts with patterns instead of just solids.  With solid shirts , I can rotate them through many different seasons. With patterns there is a tendency to go out of fashion. I also shopped in the regular sized clothing section.  Not a single plus size T-shirt in the mix. Yes, I am bragging, but I worked very hard to get here.  

After a quick stop for lunch I promptly fell asleep for over 3 times the amount of time we spent shopping. That would be about 3 hours of sleep. So tomorrow I will pull out all the old shirts and decide which pile they will go to rags or Goodwill.  Then I will carefully go through today’s purchase and decide if there are any that I really don’t need or want. Hang up the keepers and bag the returns.  

Right now clothes shopping is very stressful on my body. This compromise worked out well even if the shirts don’t make it past summer.  It is taking a long time to heal from the March 1 weekend.  I am inching along in my healing.  

TTFN

Today’s Ganga

Because of the pain in my right shoulder and arm the decision was made to move into s smaller, lighter weight purse.  So I went to my favorite Goodwill store and found 4 new to me purses.  One is for events that require see through purses.  Two others were vintage in very good shape.  The last was a new with tags purse.  Three were made of cotton or other natural materials.  One was a see through vinyl.  For all four purses the grand total was $32.00 plus tax.  By the way the new purse with tags was originally priced at $45.00.  So getting 4 for $32 was my Ganga for the day. 

Ganga is Tucson speak for an amazing deal.  I changed into one of the new purses when I got home. It is a very early SAK purse.   I did not think I needed a new purse until I tried to put my new iPhone into my purse.  My iPhone model 8 used to fit perfectly. My new phone is at least twice the size so it did not fit.  Technology upgrades sometimes have a big effect on purses and other modes of carrying them around.  It’s not like I can stop everything and knit a phone holder right now. 

It was a bit  too much driving for my arm so I came home in pain.  John and I have a funny feeling that more tests are going to be required. I should find out later this week.  As long as I sit and do nothing else, there is absolutely no pain.  The moment I move wrong or too much the pain is back with vengeance.  

My New Scarf

 This morning I finally finished a new scarf for me.  I bet you are all surprised.  The scarf is very colorful to say the least.  I designed the scarf with leftover yarn from other projects, my hand spun thread and yarn plus various samples that I have gotten over the years.  I trimmed all the extra yarn after weaving in the ends and washing it.  All I can say is that it is very soft and comfortable.  An added bonus is that John likes it, so I will not have to find a new home for it.  

On the less exciting news of the day. A wasp found its way on to the front drivers seat of my car.so I sat on it by accident   Who ever thinks there will be a wasp on the drivers seat of a locked up car.  Not me.  To say it hurt was an understatement.  John captured the wasp while I went into the house to wash it with warm soapy water. Then rinse it off and towel dry it.  Next came the ice.  Only then did I even google how to treat a wasp sting.  The good news was that without even knowing what I was doing, I got the first steps through icing it done in the correct order.  John did not find the stinger.  Thank goodness I did not have an allergic reaction to it.  It is still sore hours later with a small bump.  Hopefully it will feel better by morning.  

This meant that I did not get my shopping at Target done.  I guess it will be tomorrow.  We also did not get to see the Blue Super Moon because it was raining and hailing at our house.  Never trust the weather forecast. It was supposed to be clear skies tonight, however, I will take the rain any day it chooses to make an appearance.  

Accidental Cleaning

 Today my plan was to go to the grocery store and then come home to weave and spin.  What actually happened was I started to put a few things away.  Go through some paperwork. Do a recall for my air fryer.  Before I knew it time had flown by and it was 4:30 pm.  I am not quite sure how it happened.  I was in a cleaning zone.  

Then all of a sudden I was tired and took a nap before dinner.  John graciously assembled dinner. After dinner I did manage to go through a few color changes on the scarf.  It is definitely going to be a one of a kind scarf.  I would be hard pressed to find the yarn to assemble another scarf just like this one.  I can’t wait to see how it turns out.  It will definitely go with everything I own.  

We’re Back

 We took a small break from the everyday of life.  I took a spinning class on the Navajo Spindle and wandered around the Flagstaff Wool and fiber festival.  We then went to Page to explore.  If you have not gone it has some must sees.  More later.  Also a bit of shopping in Phoenix at my favorite store.  

I came back with a cold because a twenty something turned around and sneezed in my face.  Yes we were outside with no masks on.  However there is no way to avoid the fall out when someone is just that rude.  Please remember for the health and safety of your community to sneeze into your arm, elbow, tissue or shirt or if you have a really good friend the back of their shirt will work too. 

In this case offering to wash said shirt is just a very humble suggestion.  It is never ok to sneeze into someone’s face.  

We have already unpacked and the laundry is sorted.  The beds changed.  Laundry will start tomorrow.  I will be going in the speed of snail for a few days.  I can already feel the achy feeling.  

TTFN

Shopping Smaller

 Today we did more shopping for clothing to replace the clothing that is literally getting to big. It was the first week since September 8th that I have not lost 2 or more pounds.  That being said, the inches are coming off in droves.  Between my lifestyle changes and the physical therapy for my knee I am developing muscle mass.  I know muscle mass weighs more than fat. Muscle mass is also more compact which makes me look leaner. Muscle mass burns more calories. Win- win- win for me. Which also makes the clothing look and feel larger  

Yes, I know it has only been 4 weeks since I last went shopping.  I have shrunk out of those clothes already.  Hopefully I will hit a body size that I have clothing in my closet for in the near future.

I have also acquired some non caloric treats for when I hit certain milestones.  Getting smaller clothing is not a personal milestone for me.  Yes, I like shopping. It is just not as fun when I personally know that they will fit only a few weeks at best.  I really enjoy finding that classic piece of clothing that is well made , that I will be able to wear for years.  I have got to lose the weight equivalent of a few more toddlers for that to happen.  

I will talk about pounds lost. I will talk about sizes down.  However it is not polite to ask my current weight or goal weight. That is between me and the man upstairs. 

Also the clothing will not go to waste.  They will be going to Goodwill. Someone should get a Ganga of in season clothing at a great price.    

Repurposing Yarn

 Today after physical therapy for my knee, I went to my project bags. I found yarn for 2 projects that had been shelved for various reasons. They are now going into a gift that is being crocheted because let’s face it sometimes crocheting is just faster than knitting with lace weight yarn. It was also my second fiber craft after sewing.  I figure that if I stop after one project I should be ok. I am already on the first color change, second skein of yarn and am in the middle of the 12th row.  I can’t show you a picture yet, because it is a gift. 

I am sure that my family approves of my stash diving for a new project.  I hope to use at least 6 skeins up in this project. There were about 15 in the bag.  The remaining yarn will be used for cotton scarfs. Yes, I currently have 2 of those going along with 2 hats. Go me. Use more yarn. Stash dive.

I also went shopping yesterday and found 3 pairs of pants in a smaller size. Hopefully they will remain a good size for a couple of months.  

A Relaxing Sunday

 At a very slow pace I managed to get a lot done.  Laundry, shopping, finishing  4 projects for small holiday gifts so no pictures tonight.  I even cooked dinner for 2 nights.  Even some random acts of cleaning.  

Tomorrow I will set up the Halloween goodies bags.  I will have a table out side as I have the past 2 years. I get to watch the trick or treaters on the outside camera.  Not quite as much fun, but with COVID19, Flu and RSV numbers really high. Yes, high enough to make national press coverage. This is the safest way for me.  I will also let the kids take what they want.  Pencils, erasers and bubbles seem to go faster than Candy.  All the leftover candy will be sent to work with John.  All the leftover non perishable things like pencils and erasers go back in the closet for next year.

A Busy Day

 I had a very busy day. With brunch out. Shopping for smaller pants, I got 1 pair. Coming home and cleaning.  Giving 4 mudd rugs their hot bath and agitation. Plying and setting 1 very small skein of lace weight yarn that was completely spun by hand.  The yarn is now drying in the garage.  The mudd rugs have been moved inside to hopefully finish drying.  I put a baking cooling rack over my hand washing sink.  They are still quite damp so I do not expect them to be dry by morning.  I also tried to catch up on paper work, my never ending battle.  Some progress was made. 

Now it’s time to put my feet up and knit.  

All’s Well That End’s Well

 All is well that ends well about sums up my day. I woke up to a really bad body day. I was really hungry after breakfast and wanted a sweet roll but had a half a pound of carrots and celery instead. I then crawled  back in to bed for a nap.

Once the aspirin kicked in the day went better. I finished weaving two more holiday gifts. Then warped a small loom for another. I just have to wind the yarn into a ball or cake.

I also found out that if you fill the paper shredder to capacity it automatically shuts off and won’t work anymore until you empty it. My house work today  consisted of emptying the dishwasher and taking out three bags of recycling. I should not forget about the trip to the grocery store. Am I the only one who still wears a mask inside anymore?

The Hunt Starts

 The hunt for smaller clothing started today with p.j.’s. I really lucked out on this one. Because of the sale at Kohl’s and the only fabric that I could wear, I got 2 pairs of p.j.’s for the cost of one pair.  This is a good thing.  I just don’t know how long I will stay in this size. I also lucked out by finding Simply Vera by Vera Wang.  She knows how to design for curves. The p.j.’s are well made too.  

Next on the agenda are pants and a warm sweater. Yes, I know that I have enough yarn to knit a couple of sweaters but the chances are that after a month or 2 of knitting that they will be to big. I have done that twice before.  So I am going to get a sweater to tide me over along with a couple of pairs of pants.  Wish me luck on those.  

So instead of knitting for me I am knitting for the kids again for next winter. At knitting guild we tend to knit a year ahead.   I have 2 scarfs going for young teens that are going to be long enough to wear in different ways. I also have 2 hats going. I hat needed to be tinked out about 3 inches because I was not paying attention and lost a stitch marker. I did not notice it until I had 4 stitches on 2 double pointed knitting needles and a whole bunch on the circular knitting needles.  That is all fixed and ready to go again.  I also have the 2 weaving projects going.  

It’s going to be busy tomorrow.  Do it is time to call it a night.  

A BBD

 It was one of those epic bad body days.   Fold 2 loads of laundry and rest for 2 hours. Repeat.  

John did not want to go shopping at Tuesday Morning, but since I was too tired to drive he drove and found a new tool for the garden.  I found nothing.  

After a baked chicken lunch and shopping for coffee, ,guess what?  It was nap time again.  

I did manage to fill and sew one dog pillow.  John loaded my car for tomorrow   

I hope I got enough rest today so that I can sleep tonight.  Wish me luck.  

A Mixed Day

 I had a lot of energy this morning when I started 2 loads of laundry and went grocery shopping, by the time I got home and put everything away  I was tired   I did finish the laundry   I was to tired to knit or do anything else this afternoon and evening. So goes my life   

We will Call it a Toss Up

 My body and I were not on good terms today.  This resulted in numerous naps.  I would rather sleep through the pain if I can.  If I fall asleep quickly my body needed recharge time.  So not much of anything got done today with the exception of 2 outings.  

The 1st was to Whole Foods for a few things John and I neeeded.  They we not out of 1 item.  I stocked up on apples and Sumono Oranges. If you have not tried them you really should try this seasonal orange.  I got us a treat of 2 vegan croissants.  F John does not eat his croissant tomorrow just might have to eat it before it goes stale.  Also berries and oatmeal for breakfast. 

Since it was 85f today  no one of our favorite restaurants now opens a 4:30pm   We went out for a lovely dinner. We got there just as they opened and we had our choice of outside tables. We got our favorites   They even remembered that John does not use Teriyaki sauce.  

My body wants to sleep some more  so this is the end of the post  

Shopping

 I did manage to get out to get a few new outfits for spring.  Most of my pandemic clothing purchases are starting to look a little worn and frayed.  So I went to Bryn Walker to get some new outfits.  I managed to get 2 shirt and pants combs, 1 pair of pants and an extra top.  I just love shopping at my local Bryn Walker store.  I really like working with Teri.  She is so nice and helpful.  Did I mention how comfortable the clothing is too.  

Now a fun fact for today.  Model is a rayon fiber made from beach wood trees.  Model is the registered trademark name.   Just don’t know how to bring up the trademark symbol on my iPad.  

That was followed by some grocery shopping and then home.  I got home before the really bad winds and rain.  After lunch I spent my time knitting.  

Shopping and COVID19

 Now that the numbers are lower in Pima County.  I am venturing out to the supermarket very early to do a quick shopping trip. I mask up and hope for the best.  For the most part people are respectful of my need for space.  It is still weird to see people older than me not masking up.  The snowbirds seem to be the worst.  When they should be the very people who should be wearing masks.  I just make the assumption that they do not have the vaccine either and give them A wide berth. I have also noticed that these same people seem to be the ones that ignore the no pets allowed only service animals.  Also very few people use masks in the bakery area. When I get back to the car I use hand sanitizer before I get into the car.  After I get the groceries away I am worn out.  I can literally do nothing for a few hours because I worry about space around me. Who is spreading the virus. It is all very trying.  It may sound really weird but I long for the pre COVID19 days when people would just turn their backs to me because they did not know what to say after Eric died.  At least shopping was leisurely and relaxing back then.  

I am also wondering how low the COVID19 numbers need to go before we can resume outdoor dinning for lunch   Dinner is out of the question because the science has shown that the numbers go up as the day goes on. Then when will it be possible to meet up with friends.  Maybe even go to an event with people outside first. Then inside  I am hoping that Omnicron is the last major variant. 

Another thing I noticed is that I had a very bad sinus headache for most of the day.  It was very windy. However when the wind died down the headache went away and I had energy again. I am going to have to ask the doctor about that one.  I have know for years when the barometric pressure went crazy I would always get a headache.  I wonder if the wind thing is related.  

Absolutely no knitting was done today.  It was to windy to walk outside.  Remember the days when the weather was to bad to walk outside and we went to the mall to walk and then have a quick bite? We are still not there yet.  I did get 45 minutes on my Cubii2 though.  

Very Short

 I got to the first color change on the baby blanket. That is all the news that is to print. 

In other news,  shopping has gone back to 2020. I send in my wish list and see if I get everything that I need.  Nope not today. Only got 50%.  I will try again tomorrow.  

Just Monday

 I decided I was not quite in the mood to do much cooking this week so I got up early and headed to the store. Most people were wearing masks, but there are a few that still won’t. I just assume since we have a county wide mandate that they are also not vax’ed, so I try to stay as far as possible from them. . I picked up a double turkey breast.  That should be good for at least 3 turkey dinners and one pot of soup.  

An afternoon walk and some time checking up on my older sister.  Then there was some easy knitting while working on a scarf.  I did not finish it but came close to the tinking spot.  I have gotten to an interesting spot in the Witch Tree. So more knitting time and listening time tomorrow. I have also changed chairs for my Cubii2.  I am using on of the chairs from the dining room table and a chair pad from the kitchen table.  It sounds odd but it works as long as I am wearing low heels.  I know being short requires heels for everything.  I did manage to get a full 30 minute workout after dinner.  Now we will see if I can get one after breakfast tomorrow.  

We are currently bingeing on the HBO British version of Ghost.  We are in the middle of the second season.  I highly recommend both the British version which is the original and the American version.  They are both the same yet different to reflect the society differences.